Since someone already covered Roger Ebert, I will only allude to his statement in this entry.
In an interview with IGN, prestigious game developers offered their opinions on whether games are art. I find these to be much more credible than Roger Ebert's grossly misinformed statement.
Todd Howard, known for his work on the Elder Scrolls and Fallout franchise, defines art with the philosophy of "Ars gratia artis." Mr. Howard dismisses the didactic values of video games in comparison with a car, an object with practical functions. Therefore, video games can be art.
Tim Schafer, creator of Psychonauts and Grim Fandango, see video gaming as an underappreciated medium. Compared to other forms of art, video games are deserving of more credit than the status quo. However, Mr. Schafer brings up the point that video games are not considered art at the moment because of the quality rather than the modes of appreciation of the games.
Bruce Shelley, co-creator of the Age of Empires and Civilization franchise, emphasized on the early stages of video games development. Mr. Shelley points out that video games are "engineering problems" in their most fundamental form. The transition from that data to engaging, and emotional content, capable of trivializing "the passage of time" is an "art step."
To conclude, the fact of the debate is that the video gaming industry does not owe an explanation to anyone outside the field. Roger Ebert, having play only a handful of games in his life, is simply offering an uninformed and inflammatory statement. On the other hand, these developers are both consumers and producers of video games. Their sheer exposure to the medium immediately warrants more credibility.
Overview
Since someone already covered Roger Ebert, I will only allude to his statement in this entry.In an interview with IGN, prestigious game developers offered their opinions on whether games are art. I find these to be much more credible than Roger Ebert's grossly misinformed statement.
Todd Howard, known for his work on the Elder Scrolls and Fallout franchise, defines art with the philosophy of "Ars gratia artis." Mr. Howard dismisses the didactic values of video games in comparison with a car, an object with practical functions. Therefore, video games can be art.
Tim Schafer, creator of Psychonauts and Grim Fandango, see video gaming as an underappreciated medium. Compared to other forms of art, video games are deserving of more credit than the status quo. However, Mr. Schafer brings up the point that video games are not considered art at the moment because of the quality rather than the modes of appreciation of the games.
Bruce Shelley, co-creator of the Age of Empires and Civilization franchise, emphasized on the early stages of video games development. Mr. Shelley points out that video games are "engineering problems" in their most fundamental form. The transition from that data to engaging, and emotional content, capable of trivializing "the passage of time" is an "art step."
To conclude, the fact of the debate is that the video gaming industry does not owe an explanation to anyone outside the field. Roger Ebert, having play only a handful of games in his life, is simply offering an uninformed and inflammatory statement. On the other hand, these developers are both consumers and producers of video games. Their sheer exposure to the medium immediately warrants more credibility.
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